Reminding me (En)
by Onde Tu Esteves
Summary: She keeps reminding me that you're still gone and I'm still lonely. He keeps reminding me how good it was when we were crazy...
1. Lucas

_**Hi**_

 _ **How are you doing?**_

 _ **One more bad story for you, I'm sorry! It will only be two chapters, if all goes well, then don't kill me!**_

 _ **Let's see who guess where the story summary came from?**_

 _ **Lucas and Maya were a couple for a while, but things didn't work out and both tried to move on.**_

 _ **This has nothing to do with this story but ... I'm already writing the first scene of the new chapter of "This is a love story. What? No, No Way!" And like, the first scene already has almost three thousand words. Yeah, I need to be more objective, but what I can say is that someone will argue with someone.**_

 _ **I need to watch more episodes of Anne with an E and I'm hoping that Netflix will renew it for another season.**_

 _ **I'll write this Wanderlust007 because maybe for some extraordinary reason he or she accidentally clicked here.**_

 _ **Wanderlust007 Please, come back!**_

* * *

It was past midnight and he was there, sitting in that armchair in the corner of his room lit only by the lampshade beside him. Sleep was gone as soon as he lay down in the bed, that had been happening so often in the last few days, Lucas had even forgotten when it was the last time he hadn't had to struggle to close his eyes.

His eyes went to his bed and for a few seconds he thought he had seen the soft, beautiful, blond waves scattered over his mattress as he had already become accustomed, but the reality hit him like a slap in the face when those blond waves who was scattered over his mattress became a perfectly, straight and black strand of hair belonging to the tiny figure hidden by his bed sheets.

Lucas rested his chin on his hands as he watched the unfamiliar curves of his sheets over her body, the body in which a few hours ago he had for himself and when he remembered what he has done he felt like a crap. She is just a replace and he hates himself for using her like that, for using her for the purpose of forgetting the Blonde beauty. He hates that kind of guy who deceives a woman, who makes her believe that he really likes her when in fact he doesn't, the kind of guy who uses without thinking or cares and in the end, he will hurt her, the kind of guy he is, the kind of guy he hates himself for being **.**

They tried, they had their chance and he'd ruined everything with his insecurity, his lack of time, his lapses, his damn genius. He had left her, he had promised that he would never leave her, but he left her and it hurts. It hurts to know that he had hurt her, that he had made her faced one of her greatest fears and now there is nothing else to do, she will never want to see him again and he understands it perfectly.

He really wanted to forget her at some point, he even deleted her number and all the messages that were sent and received, but everything in his place reminds him of her; the paintings on the walls, the paint stains around the house, the clothes in his closet, the paintbrushes on the table.

Lucas sighed as he got up from his armchair, his eyes went to the painting on the wall of his bedroom and he smiled seeing the fruits drawn with his face, she had painted it in middle school and had given it to him a few years ago because her roommate at that time, couldn't bear to look at it for thinking it was weird.

His footsteps stopped in front of his closet and Lucas slid the door gently so as not to disturb the brunette in his bed. He looked at the dresses that were right at the corner of the closet for days. He remembered the first time the brunette found them and he had lied when she asked who is the owner of the dresses, the safest answer to that question was Riley because she trusted in the brunette, she didn't even have the opportunity to meet the blonde, but she'd already heard conversations about her and about Lucas and her, so he'd said they belonged to Riley, that she left them there and that she'd be looking for them soon, something that never happened.

He took one from his closet, it was a simple red dress the last one she'd worn when she'd been there for the last time before it was over. Lucas caressed the fabric of her dress, it was not so interesting now that it wasn't sliding over the curves of her body, but her perfume still on it, which made him draw it close to his face and breathing in the perfume which she had worn it since he had known her and for a moment, just for a moment he could close his eyes and feel her there, there with him.

He felt a lump in his throat and his eyes filled with tears in a cry that he was trying to avoid for some time. It had been months since he had seen her, more precisely five months. She had been going to spend two months in France for a summer course she had got after an art department contest. In addition to the course, she also won the plane tickets, room, board and subway ticket. Knowing that Maya would go to France by herself, got Riley in tears because she wanted the first trip to France was with the two together and unfortunately, this was not going to happen anymore, but nothing stopped her from going to France two weeks after her Peach got there. He remembers how embarrassing the farewell was, Riley and Katy didn't give space to anyone when it was not one that was with Maya in her arms was the other one. She had not even said a goodbye to him because the break up was still very recent. Riley forced him to go, she said that before they became boyfriend and girlfriend they are friends and friends support each other during the good times and bad times.

After that day, he never saw her again, she had come back a few weeks before the start of the last school year and by coincidence just the day he would be at the clinic all day in his summer internship, so Riley could not make him go to the airport or the welcome party she had thrown for Maya. Maybe that was the reason she was never in the same place he was and that upset Riley, her smiles became a bit sad and he knew it was because she missed her best friend by her side, so he had decided to step aside a little with the intention of not forcing Riley to have to choose between them and this separation led him to have that brunette in his bed.

They never talked about Maya when they were together and he thinks she does the same when she's with her He did not know anything about her current life, the only thing he knew was one day when Katy had approached the table where they were sitting while he and Riley talked about their post-college plans and Katy innocently asked Riley If she knew if her uncle would be at Maya's house that night, Lucas saw her friend turn red, her was staring at the table while she played nervously with her hands avoiding looking at him and she let out a low I do not know. Katy jokingly said that she was thinking of going to visit her daughter, but she did not want to interrupt them, she said winking and went back to her place behind the counter.

They grew silent after that revelation. He knew that this would happen, they were very close in the last few years and Josh had never said he did not like her, he just didn't try anything because she was underage and now there was no obstacle between them, it was normal for them to try to stay together. That dark side inside him told him that he had warned him about it, had warned him that she was into Josh and Josh was so into her; That Lucas was only a hindrance in their way; That all those moments when Josh and Maya were together without the company of their friends was just a rehearsal for what was to come next. He could see every time she said that's nothing happing between them and never gonna happen, that they were just friends and that's all; That he was the only guy in her mind; That crush she had on Josh was over years ago. Everything was a lie.

When Riley finally took the courage to face him she was sad to see his accusing look on her, so she told him what she knew. She told him why she had not wanted him to go to the airport with her and the reason was that Josh was going with his niece to France, and that was kind of a demand from her father who did not trust Riley in a strange country with unknown people who do not speak her language, or rather he did not trust his daughter alone with a Frenchman miles away from his eyes. She had chosen not to tell him because she knew it would get Lucas angry and that really did, and she was sorry for it. Riley told him that Maya was a bit reluctant about Josh's presence at first, but then everything went back to the way it was before, they even went out by themselves when Riley was too tired to accompany them and maybe that was what got them together at the end.

He was angry at them, he was angry at her for not telling him about it, so he left her alone at Topanga's and Riley understood him perfectly when he went days without receiving her texts and calls. Lucas had a terrible night on that day, he forced himself to not shows up to Maya's house because he knew that if he were he would yell at her and Lucas did not like it, he did not like that feeling inside him that he had always tried to control since he had come to New York.

It had been two months since he'd got that news. The fact that she had moved on and he did not have, it was perhaps one of Lucas's reasons for having that brunette in his bed now. She is nice, they met in one of their classes this senior year. She was the first to take the initiative and call him to drink in a bar near the college, Lucas didn't have reason to say no to her and he found himself since that day almost every weekend at her side, whether at parties or cozy in his place or hers.

They did not argue for anything, Lucas practically decided everything about their relationship, she was not jealous, she is very respectful and nice to his friends from the first time she had met them and Lucas remembered what he had accidentally heard when he approached the counter where there were Zay and Riley that day, he'd told her,

"Nah, that's not going to last!"

And from that day on he had tried to show that his friend was wrong, but deep down he knew he was right because you can't force your heart to love someone, especially when he already does it for someone else.

He felt unhappy as he felt her kisses as he yearned for others; when he feels her touch on his body that did not get him the same sensations as Maya's touch; he feels unhappy to think of Maya's body while he watched her getting undressed in front of him trying to seduce him with her biggest seductive smile. He felt filthy to think that every time their bodies joined, it was Maya who was in his head, it was his need of her that made him reach the end every time.

He put the dress back in his closet next to the others ones, Lucas grabbed one of his shirts putting it on while taking one last look at his bedroom leaving the brunette alone there. His footsteps led him into the living room lit only by the city lights and the full moon, his hand groping for the light switch, when he got it he turns the light on. The light filled the room making him blind for a few seconds, his eyes blinked a few times to get accustomed to the sudden clarity in the room and ironically his gaze stopped at a frame on his bookshelf.

They were Riley, Farkle, Zay, Maya and Lucas in their high school graduation in that frame. All wearing their cap and gown smiling at the camera, happy to have completed one more step in their lives and unlike them middle school graduation, no concern among them. Maya was in his arms and he could see a little bit of red on her cheeks, Lucas felt his mouth curl into a smile as he remembered why she looks like that. Her cheeks were blush because it had been the first time he had hugged her in public. Not that he had not done it before because he had already hugged her several times, but that day was different, those blushed cheeks were the result of what had happened a few hours earlier. Everything was changing in those last days of high school, everyone was under pressure, nerves on the edge, some decisions to be taken and Lucas had two decisions to take. One of them was whether he would stay in New York or he is up to a scholarship with everything included in Texas something that didn't please their friends at all, but this was an easy decision to make with Maya's help, more specifically, with the help of her lips on his as she said goodbye to them art room, away from everyone's eyes. The second was how to make it official, they had that thing between them going on in the last few months and Zay had even put Lucas against the wall the day before, he told him that it was now or never that he had to do something before someone show up and take Maya from him. The plan was prom, unlike other couples planning something involving sex and/or alcohol, Lucas was planning on how to ask Maya to be his girlfriend.

He turned to his coach, Lucas slides his hand through the dark gray fabric stopping on the yellow ink stain, one of the clues she had been there and he could see her there by his side. Her legs on the back of the sofa, her sketchbook resting on her thighs as she tried to draw something, her hair in a long ponytail touching the ground, her mouth moving excitedly as she was telling him about her day as a tutor in a kindergarten, her eyes sparkled with emotion when they turned to look at him and suddenly she was gone.

Lucas got up and went to the kitchen, he needed some cold water and didn't bother to turn on the lights, Lucas picked up a bottle of water when the peach scent hit him like a slap in the face. It's been a while since the last time he felt the smell of peaches through his kitchen. Lucas turned back to the kitchen and he had to blink several times when his eyes stopped at that figure on his counter. Her legs danced in the air as she stared at the window, she was wearing only his blue striped shirt that ended in the middle of her thighs, her hair was a mess between a nearly undone bun and several strands of hair scattered. Lucas found himself approaching her slowly in fear that she would disappear, she turned to him apparently noticing his presence just now and her lips curls at a naughty smile. Lucas stopped in front of her and she raised one of his eyebrows questioning him.

"What is it, Huckleberry? Have you never saw me?"

She was not real, her voice could sound perfectly as he remembered and he could feel her warmth from there, but she is not real.

"You are not here!"

He said to himself and watched Maya roll her eyes when she heard him.

"No, I'm just a ghost and I've come here to haunt you. Boo!"

She said playfully and for a moment he was confused, wondered if he had been dreaming and all those bad feelings, the breakup and the fact that she was with Josh was just a very bad dream that was over when he got up from the bed. But he hadn't gotten up from his bed, he was in the armchair and he hadn't slept.

"I'm hungry! Aren't you going to cook something for me? You know, after everything we've done, I need to recharge my energy."

She said winking at him, Lucas looked at her seriously and Maya raised her eyebrows asking him to say something, but he didn't say anything.

"What is wrong? You're weird!"

Lucas looked at the bottle in his hand wondering if anyone had put something in his water or in his food a few hours ago because it was not possible that she was there. Maya looked at him patiently, waiting for him to say something.

"You aren't real!"

He saw Maya's smile disappear, she frowned and her eyes became sad as she heard his words.

"Lucas, I..."

"You are not here! You are not real!"

He closed his eyes tightening for a moment taking deep breaths and that didn't help at all as those deep breaths brought yet more of the scent of peaches to his lungs. Lucas opened his eyes after a few minutes and she was no longer there, he needed to find the source of that scent and finish it off. Maya had bought that specific scent as a joke so he could remember her when she was not there, something he had enjoyed at that time and that he had hated after the end of them relationship and even more so when he found out about her new relationship. Lucas found the new refill, surely the brunette had brought it thinking that the lack of it was due to the fact that he had not had the time or was procrastinating to buy it. He threw it in the trash so he could take out the trash on next morning.

He couldn't get the image of her on his counter wearing only his favorite shirt in the minutes after it happened. After Lucas had let slip that shirt was the one that made her more attractive to him, Maya wear it with a certain frequency laughing at the effect she had on him every time, when she left him speechless with his eyes fixed on her

Lucas went back to his living room, his wallet was lying open on the floor close to the couch probably he had dropped it without realizing it, Lucas go it and his eyes stopped on a strange piece of paper in his wallet, he took it out and unfolded it, a well-known calligraphy appeared in the paper.

 _Happy 3rd Anniversary!_

 _I know, this sounds stupid right now, it's Riley's fault, she said I have to be cute with you and write beautiful things that neither boyfriends did in the past and blah, blah, blah ..._

 _You and I forever. Are you in?_

 _( )Yes ( )No_

 _( )You could have written something better._

Lucas turned the paper over and there was something else written:

 _I hope you have chosen yes or rather the option you could have written something better or even better I hope you ignore this and burns down this paper so no one can prove that it really existed._

 _Happy Anniversary! I know I haven't been the best girlfriend of all, who could be better and more of a womanly for you. Because you, Huckleberry is the best boyfriend in the world. I still can not understand how we last that long; How you can be interested in a short stack of pancakes full of fears, insecurities and with a messy life like me instead of a real loving sunshine with fewer problems and insecurities._

 _I love you!_

He had missed it and he knew that rather than be upset Maya had been relieved that he had not found it or had not said anything about it. The note was dated six months ago and she had hidden it very well with the intention of never finding it and he found himself smiling at another proof that they had existed.

Lucas took a picture off his wallet, his mother had fallen in love with that photo at first sight. That photo was taken at Prom where Lucas had Maya in his arms while she rested her face on his chest and her eyes were closed, just minutes before he asked if she wanted to be his girlfriend in the silence of the square where she used to go when she was a kid. He could not remember if Farkle or Riley had been responsible for capturing that moment, but he knew this was one of his favorites and he had several copies of it around.

He missed her. God, he misses her so much! He would give everything to have her there around him even if she chooses to ignore his presence. He would be glad to at least see her for a moment. Lucas wonder about what she was doing at that moment, Maya is creative at night so she would probably be working on some new painting or she or she could... And when the possibility of her being in Josh's arms went through his head, he grew crazy just picturing that Josh would be touching her body right now, the two of them alone in her bedroom with no one to disturb them.

Lucas closes his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself laying down on his couch. And he felt her, he felt the weight of her body on him, he felt her lips slowly tracing a trail of kisses over his skin, her perfume all over the couch, he could even hear her chuckled as she whispered slowly his name, but at the moment he opened his eyes he saw that there was no one there, he was alone in the living room and her perfume was all around him.

What's wrong with him? It was that he was going crazy or his abstinence to her was at such critical levels that he was able to see her anywhere and feel her just to make up for her absence. He couldn't stay like that for another minute, so he found himself picking up his wallet and keys and leaving the apartment.

He shouldn't do this, he shouldn't go after her, he had no right to do it after everything that happened. Lucas was in a relationship now, in a relationship that served to tell him that Maya is still gone and he still lonely; A relationship that reminded him of how good they were before he screws up everything; A relationship that makes him miss the excitement, the arguments, the madness, the frustrations, the nicknames, the kissing, the caresses, the silly things, the nonsense, the laughter, everything he had before with Maya.

He saw some of her apartment lights on and he felt himself freezing next to the door of his car when he realized he didn't know what to say to her. After a few minutes stopped in front of his car, Lucas saw a group of girls get out of a car that had just parked in front of his, one of the girls turned to him and elbowed one of her friends. She is saying something to her and her friend turned to him and as she recognized him she smiled

"Hey, Lucas! Did you come to visit Maya?"

She said as if it were normal for a person to visit someone at two o'clock in the morning. Lucas gave her a bashful smile and apparently that was the answer, for her, so she waved for him to join them. They got in the apartment block and the girls said goodbye to him at the first door of Maya's floor. Lucas walked to the door of Maya's apartment, stopping a few feet from her door.

She was right there, on the other side of the door and he just needed to be noticeable by knocking on her door, then he grew nervous. What to say? Would she receive him at her place? Would she listen to him? What if Josh was there and he was a fool? Does she miss him? Would she forgive him? What if she wanted to get back what he would do? What if she did not want to? What if she said that everything was in the past and she's happy now with someone else?

Lucas took a step toward the door, but the fear made him take two back and turn again to the empty hallway. His hands were sweating from his nervous state, and he wiped them on his pants taking another deep breath. This was the first time they had been so close and what could happen afterward frightened him so much that he saw her door get further and further away.

* * *

 ** _Goodbye!_**

 ** _Have a great weekend!_**

 ** _I'll see you around!_**


	2. Hey guys!

Hi guys, how are you doing today?

So, I'm here to let you guys know that, unfortunately, I won't be able to update my stories very often as I wanted to do because I got in a full-time job this month and as Christmas is coming I will have to work until 11 p.m. which doesn't leave me much time to write (unfortunately). Don't you worry, I am not giving up! I already have the next chapter of This is a Love Story(pt) almost done, I already wrote half of the next chapter of Reminding me (pt) and I am writing two more chapters of Unfaithful (the plan was to have written a single chapter, but I thought that this story deserved another chapter and this made the chapter that I've ready written becomes the last one chapter and that one that I am writing right now becomes the penultimate chapter).

Sorry guys!

See you soon!


	3. Maya

_**Hi, guys!**_

 _ **How are you doing?**_

 ** _This chapter was written by a drunk sleep person, so any nonsense contained here is the result of intense fatigue. I'm sorry, I'm trying._**

* * *

She hates that asshole bastard so much. How could he do that to her? How could he turn his back on her? How could he dare be happy without her? Riled up, Maya carelessly threw her paintbrush at the canvas that she was painting after realized once again that she had painted him.

"I won't leave you." "I'm not like your father." Liar! Lucas left her as her father had done. The only thing Lucas got in his favor was that he had at least let her know that he wouldn't come back that they were over while her father had not even cared to warn her and her mom when he let them. All this was his fault, his disturbed mind that who knows where he got that she has feelings for Josh and that he likes her too.

Maybe it was her fault too, because what she would think if her boyfriend came late from a going out with a very attractive friend girl of his, a friend he had had feelings for. But you know what, she was so done with his suspicions, she had never given him a reason to distrust her, never! She thought that by that time Lucas would have known that he is the only one she loves and wants, Josh was just a childhood crush that ended as their teenage years went by and she and Lucas became closer.

She could still see him slamming that door after she had said to him to leave her alone, he had not even tried to calm down and fix things. Maya remembered staying up all night waiting for his call or just a text where he would apologize to her and say he was wrong because she would never let him have the satisfaction of thinking he was right about it, something that wasn't true. If he wanted her back he was the one who had the obligation to tell her and apologize. After a week Maya knew that they really could be over because neither of them had tried to talk, they both avoided being in the same place alone for more than enough time.

Maybe she was wrong to ask Josh out in front of everyone the next week after their argument, she saw anger in his green eyes at hearing what she said. Maya wasn't surprised to find him alone in her bedroom when she came from her date with Josh. Lucas was so furious, the fact of she going out with Josh just proved him that he was right, Maya was so tired of that bullshit and those fights, the only thing she wanted to do was take a shower and sleep. Then she had told him that she was free to go out with whoever she wanted to, and Lucas had agreed with her since she was no longer his girlfriend from now on. Maya had sworn to herself that she won't shed a tear for that fucking cowboy, but after the anger was gone, she found herself crying for him and calling Riley.

Maya didn't need him to be happy, she was great without Lucas before and would be fine without him after that; there were thousands of more important things in her life at that time and he was just a waste of her time and energy. Those were her thoughts in the first month after their breakup, but when she found herself alone in Paris with all those thousands of thoughts as her company Maya realized how much she missed Lucas and how much she wanted him there with her, Lucas could be a complete fool, but he was her fool.

There was a guy from Texas on her floor, and Maya had been a bitch with him on her firsts days in Paris because he reminded her of Lucas every time he opened his mouth and she could hear some linguistic patterns they shared. After a while, Maya felt comfortable to be around him because he reminded her of home every time he opens his mouth and Maya liked that feeling.

Then maybe Lucas was right about Josh. Maya was surprised to see him with her best friend when she picked her up at the airport and Maya knew that the fact that Josh was there would be one more problem between her and Lucas even if they weren't together anymore. Josh was always around even when Riley wasn't into touring around Paris, calling off a lot of things that Maya had scheduled for them do. Josh had kissed her at an early morning under the Eiffel Tower. Maya doesn't know how it happened, they were talking about how beautiful and interesting Paris is at night and suddenly Josh's lips were against hers. That twelve-year-old girl would probably have had a heart attack if she was the one who was being kissed right there for her true love in the most romantic city in the world. All those sensations Riley had felt and had told to her after Riley got her first kiss and what Maya had hoped to feel when Josh would finally kiss her, all those sensations they weren't there. Josh said he would be patient, that he understood that it was still too soon for her to get involved with another person because she and Lucas had been together for so long, but he wanted her to know that he was there just waiting for her to say that they could give a try. After that Maya knew that Lucas was right, at least in that part of Josh have feelings for her, but he was pretty mistaken about her having feelings for Josh. He had been very affectionate with her throughout their stay in the city, enjoying every moment alone with her at the point that Maya began to question her best friend's prolonged absence on their walks around the city. Josh said that her niece wasn't into going to all those places and Maya suspected that Riley only did it because she wants that Maya and Josh would be spending a time alone. Often after spending a good part of the day together, Josh would come back to spend some more time with her which would end up with them together on the couch watching a movie or ignoring it when they were making out.

Did she like him? She thought she does, somehow she liked Josh, but as soon as Josh and Riley left and Maya found herself alone again, she realized that in fact, all those kisses meant nothing to her. It was only a moment of weakness since she was used to be with someone and the fact that Josh was there given her the attention and the affection that she wanted to get, it was just the lack of being with someone that led her straight to him.

As the days went by, Maya was looking forward to coming back home, she was really stoked on meeting her family and friends again, but as soon as she got in New York Maya got disappointed. They were all there waiting for her, everyone was there except Lucas. He had not bothered to show up and she didn't even have to ask the reason for his absence because Riley had noticed that it bothered her and she readily justified Lucas's absence. Maya expects his presence at the welcome home party her best friend had thrown for her, but he didn't show up and Maya kind of felt relieved because Josh doesn't leave her side which made the rumors about their relationship begin.

Lucas had not called or tried to contact her and that hurt her. Riley had called her desperately to tell her that Lucas already knew about Josh and her and Maya kind of expected him to come over to ask for explanations, but no, he didn't look for her and Maya felt as if she means nothing to him.

Maya stood up angrily from her seat, her fingers going through her hair as she pulled them lightly shaking her head as if it made him get off her head.

He is happy. He's got someone else and she knew that when she saw them together through Topanga's door when she was going to meet Riley on a Friday night. Lucas and the girl were sitting in the traditional place that their friend group always sat. The way the girl rested her head on his shoulder while Lucas kept his arms around her was enough to ruin her week. Maya's eyes met Riley's sad brown eyes that watched her before she turned and walked away in tears.

She'd lost him, and she'd known that when she'd asked Riley about the girl who Lucas had been dating. Riley had said she was a nice, kind, loving, polite, sociable girl; Lucas and she seemed to do get along very well since they had a very similar personality. Then she tried to bury all those feelings and actually give a chance to her and Josh.

He is attractive, interesting, cheerful, funny, he cares about her, among many other qualities so why the hell can't she like him again? She'd done it before and she could do it again. Josh was more at her home than his own and that was frustrating because now the scent of Lucas had faded away from her bed being replaced by his and now Maya couldn't sleep peacefully because she needed it to calm her down.

Josh had tried to get more intimate, but Maya couldn't give in, the most closer they'd ever been was a heavy make out session on her bed which ended with him satisfied and with Maya wanting him to go home. Josh wants her to wear his things and he had even left some of his stuff in her home, but Maya never came near to them. Her favorite clothes to paint were Lucas's shirts that she had purposely ruined it something that had annoyed him at first. Her favorite clothes to sleep belongs to Lucas and now she had to leave them in the closet while Josh was there to avoid questions.

Maya walked toward her bedroom, she opened the door and saw the dark-hair man comfortably sleeping spread on her bed, she sighed and headed toward the bathroom. Maya turned on the light and closed the door, leaning on it then. What was she doing there? She didn't know, Maya sighed and looked in the mirror, her hair was a huge mess so she put her hair up in a messy bun. Maya's hands went to the bathroom mirror pulling it to the side opening a small bathroom cabinet behind it. Her eyes fell on the perfume, cologne glasses and antiperspirants there. Maya had said she would throw them in the trash as soon as she got back home, but no, she couldn't do this, see them there reminded her of Lucas. Her hands went to one of the cologne glasses picking it up, opening it and breathing the familiar fragrance in, Maya closed her eyes, it was like he was still there with her.

Maya closed the packing and put it back on the shelf. She felt his breath on her neck, his hands lowered to her waist as he pulls her closer to him, Maya smiled as she felt the warmth of his body against her, her hands closed the bathroom cabinet and through the mirror, she could see the wide smile and his green eyes. Maya blinked not believing what she saw, but he was still there after it, Lucas left a light kiss on her cheek turning her to him then.

"It's late, let's go to bed."

He said before leaving a light kiss on her lips. This wasn't real, why would he be there?

"What are you doing here?"

She said and he laughed at her words.

"I missed you." he said, kissing her again "our bed is too big and cold without you there."

His lips touched hers again and Maya felt dizzy as Lucas increased the intensity of their kiss. His hands went to her hair undoing the bun she had made as Maya's hands rose up to his chest stopping at the nape of his neck, her fingers sliding through his soft blond hair as she likes to do. He lifted her and placed her on top of the sink positioning himself between her legs. Maya pulled away breathlessly and Lucas lowered his kisses to her neck.

"I was missing you."

He said between kisses as his hands ran down her thigh.

"Me too!"

She said breathless pulling him even closer. His fingers unbuttoned his shirt that she was wearing almost ripping off its buttons showing how impatient he was.

"I'm sure, not more than I do, ma'am."

Lucas slid his shirt down her arms leaving her only in her bra and underwear. Lucas joined their lips once more, his hands gripping her waist tightly to bring her closer to his body, Maya wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling Lucas press his body into hers and she moaned in his mouth at the bit of stimulation. It had been a while since she'd been so intimate with someone, someone she really wanted to go that road. Then with those few kisses, he gets her where he wants, Lucas got Maya desperately needing him. He breaks the kiss and suddenly Maya felt the lack of his warmth, she opened her eyes looking forward to finding his green eyes, but what she saw was the shelves of the bathroom cabinet. Maya realized she still held his cologne packing in her hands what had led her to think that it was just her imagination making fun of her.

She was frustrated. Maya closed the cabinet and left the bathroom quickly. Her eyes fell on the dark-haired man who still sleeping in her bed, and at that moment she wished that he was Lucas, she wanted that Lucas was there instead of Josh. Maya left the bedroom and returned to her living room, sitting on the couch by herself. Maya's eyes locked on the photo album she had made a few months ago, the photo album was placed on a shelf of her small bookcase. Maya got up and picked up the album coming back to the couch then. A younger version of her and Riley was on the first page. That picture had been taken a few months after Maya first walked through that bay window. Maya smiled as she remembered that innocent little girl humming sitting in her bay window while she had no idea how important she would become to Maya's live. The second picture was the first picture of their new trio of friends at Riley's birthday party, Maya found herself laughing as she remembered the clumsy, skinny boy with extremely straight and smooth hair who owns a weird name, that little boy had vowed to love her and Riley equal and forever.

Her hands traced the delicate pages of the photo album until her eyes fell on the first photo of the now four-member group of friends. Maya had forgotten how Lucas had changed through their teenage years as she realized how tall and thin his body was in that picture, the years have done him good. The Texas pictures caught her eyes, they had first traveled without the adult supervision, something Cory had regretted as soon as Riley's credit card bill had arrived. Maya laughed when she saw a picture of Farkle with his face smeared with BBQ sauce and several bones on his plate, Farkle had definitely liked that meat. There was a picture of her Lucas, Farkle, and Riley near the stage, Maya remembered how her hand was sweating and how her heart was racing to feel Lucas's arms around her. The first picture of their first day on high school before all of that confusion started a few pages later, Riley had insisted that Maya sleep in her house so she and Maya could choose a perfect outfit to start high school well and Maya would completely ignore this the next morning because she wanted to sleep more.

The Ski Lodge pictures were the next ones, her first class trip and the last time she allowed herself to think she and Lucas could be something more. Lucas, Farkle, Riley, and Maya had taken a picture in the bay window, that bay window whom a few hours ago had watched Lucas and Riley become a couple officially. Maya's eyes fell on the last photo taken in high school at her senior year on their high school graduation; Maya was blushing and see that made her laughed at herself. The plan was to take a normal graduation picture, but as soon as Lucas's hands were holding her waist Maya found herself remembering what had happened a few hours ago.

"I love this one!"

She heard his voice, he had said it a thousand times.

"Me too!"

She found herself answering.

"Do you remember?"

Maya could see herself in the art classroom all by herself while everyone went crazy trying to get ready for the big ceremony in a few hours. That place was her sanctuary, the only place in the whole school that brought her peace and her second favorite place in the world. Maya watched the hang paintings on the walls, one of them was hers, her first painting on senior year. The sound of footsteps on the door caught her eye, but she had grown accustomed to that sound after all these years.

"So, you're here! We were looking for you, Riley wants to take as many pictures as possible today."

"It's nothing new."

She said turning to him, he was already wearing his graduation gown and keeping his hat in his hands. Lucas looked her up and down and smiled.

"You look good!"

"You're not that bad, cowboy. If you keep your mouth shut you even look like a city guy."

Lucas came over rolling his eyes. Maya sat in one of the desks, taking one last look at the room.

"Is weird!"

"What is weird?"

"This is the last time we'll be here. It's the last day we'll be high school students and I know I complained in the freshman year for being so many years here, but today I feel like they have not been enough."

"Are you saying that you miss high school already?"

He said incredulously.

"No, it's just that for the first time we won't take any more classes together, each one of us will go to different roads. Riley and I want different things, Zay is going to take a year off before going to college, Farkle will leave us just like Smackle so that one day both can fight for to rule the world. You will go back to Texas to achieve your childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian..."

"I don't know. I have not made up my mind yet."

He said cutting her off.

"Of course, you will. You'd be a fool if you waste this chance! You got a full scholarship after you've worked so hard and you'll have the advantage of being able to work on the farm in the meantime..."

"I know, but... I don't know if I really want to go back." Lucas cut her off again "I always wanted that when I moved here, but today I don't, I don't want to go back."

"I'll miss you!"

She heard those words leave her lips without thinking, Lucas leaned toward her lean the palm of his hand against the desk beside her thighs and that move made Maya's heart speed up.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Maya."

She looked into his deep green eyes drawing her into him, his eyes were saying something to her but she didn't understand.

"There won't be anybody who I can call Huckleberry, Sundance, Heehaw, Lone star, Ranger Rick, Hop-along, Ha-hurr, ha-hurr!"

Lucas leaned in and closed the distance between them with a light kiss on her lips. It was two pecks that had made her shut up, her eyes met his deep greens for a second before Maya held his graduation gown and pulled him closer, crushing her lips against his. They had been dancing around for a while, their lips had almost touched each other in the last couple of years about a hundred times and Maya had dreamed about how would be finally kissing Lucas, but she knew it wouldn't happen, they would never have the guts to break that friendship wall they had built in recent years; and in that moment Maya knew that they had wasted a lot of time on that bullshit. She should have kissed him months ago because at that time that kiss didn't matter, in a few days Lucas would come back to his hometown and she would be in New York alone. They broke the kiss breathless, neither of them said anything for a while, her blue eyes lost in the bright greens of Lucas, Maya felt her cheek hurt and then realized that she had a huge smile on her face, Lucas looked again at her lips and Maya found herself biting her lower lip and lowering her gaze to his lips for a few seconds as a permission for him to end the distance between them again. Maya felt Lucas's right hand on her chin pulling it up so she could look him in the eye. He caressed her cheek with the tips of his fingers before whispering:

"I've been waiting for this moment for months. Maya, I like you!"

She didn't have time to say anything because his lips brush against hers and that good sensation in her belly came back. She felt a good warm in her body and maybe that was happiness, her legs were weak what made her thank for be sitting in that desk. They stood there alone for a while until Riley found them there. Maya slipped her hand over the photo.

"Of course, I remember it. Feels like it was yesterday."

She felt his lips on her cheek when she said it, but Maya knew it wasn't real, it was just the reflection of his lack in her life after all these days. Maya shook her head and closed the album, getting up from the couch then. Her feet guided her to the stools in front of the easel where she was painting minutes ago. Maya watched the man lying on the bed between the sheets, his features don't get close to the perfection that life gave to him. Maya slid her fingers along the curves of her painting on that canvas.

"I love this one. I knew you prefer me shirtless because you think I'm hot."

Maya rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder, she saw her inspiration standing right there, next to her, staring at the painting.

"I prefer this to the others paintings that you did."

Maya turned her gaze to the canvas and felt the warmth of his bare chest on her back, she felt him rest his chin on her shoulder as his hands slid around her waist. "Confess, I know you like me just for my body."

She heard his amused tone as he breathed her in.

"Is definitely it! You are so annoying."

"Huh...Am I annoying? You know what!" He said indignantly. "You look so sexy in my shirt."

He whispered huskily in her ear that made Maya take a deep breath and close her eyes feeling his warm breath on her skin.

"Leave me alone!"

"Never!"

He laughed biting her earlobe the way he knows that she likes, Maya got up from the bench and stared at the emptiness behind her. She felt the pain in her chest and tears threatened to stream down her face. Maya took the painting off the easel walking with it to the closet where the coats and stuff that shouldn't be in the eyes the visit were supposed to be placed; she turned the light on and walked to the corner of the closet turning away from the pile of junk that was there, finding the stack of her Lucas painting that she had painted in the last few months, leaving the new painting next to them. If anyone saw it they would think Maya was a type of psychopath, Josh would never come here and that's exactly why she chose to hide them there. She turned off the light from the closet and turned back to the living room. Maya lay down on her sofa putting her arms over her face and his scent wrapped around her again before she felt the weight of his body close to hers. Maya saw him watching her, his face resting on her chest got a serious expression.

"What is wrong?"

"You!"

He looked at her in surprise at what she had said.

"What did I do wrong?"

"You won't leave me alone."

"But I didn't do anything to you."

"Yeah, you did. You are a jerk!"

He got up taking a distance from her and Maya sat on the couch without taking her eyes off of him.

"Why are you calling me a jerk? I did nothing to you."

"Yeah, you did! You are a liar! You left me even after you told me you'd never do that to me, and all this because of your fuck jealous, even after I told you there was nothing between Josh and me.

"If there's nothing between you two why is he in your bed?"

Said Lucas in a dark tone, Maya shook her head and told herself that it wasn't real.

"If it was all in my head then why is he in your bed? Tell me, Maya!"

Maya saw Lucas looking resentfully at her.

"I miss you! I fucking miss you, you jerk!"

Tears stream down her face, Lucas's expression softened at the sight of her tears, Maya found herself crawling up to him. She sat on his lap, resting her head on the curve of his shoulder. Lucas stood still for a moment and then his hands ran down her back stroking it to calm her down and Maya felt his gentle kiss on the top of her head; she misses this, she misses him.

"Me too!"

He whispered and it sounds so far away. Maya opened her eyes and found herself curled up on the couch by herself, at least her tears were real. She got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to take a glass of cold water. As soon as she opened the fridge something hit her and slid down the fridge. Maya closed the fridge and knelt to take whatever was what had hit her. She reached it with her fingers and a Polaroid came from under the fridge. It was an after-prom picture, Maya was sitting on Lucas's lap who had his arms around her, they both smiled at the person who took the picture, which in this case was Riley. There was something written behind that picture so Maya turned it over and recognized Lucas's handwriting as soon as her eyes saw it.

 ** _One of the best days of my life, the best people and the best company I could ever have. This day I got as my girlfriend one of the most amazing and strong girls I've ever met. I hope someday this same person can carry my last name and my children and when that day finally comes it will become the best day of my life._**

 ** _I know it's early, but I love you!_**

 ** _12 /12/ 2021_**

Lucas had given her this picture a few months ago. Riley had given that picture to Maya after prom but was Lucas who kept that picture and hadn't given it back to Maya after their celebrations. She had been annoyed that it had taken so many years for him to finally return that picture.

She misses him and needs Lucas so much. Maya found herself putting a coat on, grabbing her purse and keys, leaving the apartment, she doesn't even care that Josh could wake up at any moment and won't find her there. In a couple minutes Maya saw herself sitting on one of the subway seats as the subway, there was no one in there, it was a relief and scary at the same time but she didn't care because when she was there the only thing that she saw was that picture in her hand.

She was just a few steps from his door in the empty and silent corridor shows her that everyone was sleeping at that time. Maya knew him, she couldn't get him out of bed in less than half an hour which made her laugh, her fingers hit his number on her phone but she stopped herself from completing the call. She was there, Maya was sure of it, it was a Saturday night why that woman would not be there with her boyfriend? Her boyfriend Maya had lost that title, lost the right to say that he was hers and she was his, a huge wave of sadness hit her and Maya found herself turning her back to the door and walking back on the way that she had walked in that corridor. As soon as she reached the elevator, her right hand touched the picture in her pocket, Maya took it out again reading what Lucas had written to her.

This is so stupid, she said when she heard Riley say that she should always carry a pen with her, so Riley had hidden a pen on each purse that Maya could use then when Maya opened her purse she found a pen there. She stared at the picture before writing below what Lucas had written:

 ** _I love you._**

She walked to the door and pushes the picture through the opening of the door, Maya looked at the door for a few seconds before leaving the corridor.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for stopping by!**_

 _ **Wish me luck tomorrow will be one of the worst days at work. Does anyone know of any good medicine for tired legs? Because my legs are hurting a lot.**_

 _ **See ya!**_


End file.
